Reclining chair extensible leg rest



2 Sheets-Sheet l H. v. THADEN RECLINING CHAIR EXTENSIBLE LEG REST,'ZZZZZTILZZZZLS June 2, 1959 Filed June l0. 1957 R mm 5 j a .163 BY"ld/1A@ June 2, 1959 H. v. THADEN RC'LINING CHAIR EXTENSIBLE LEG REST 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l0, 1957 7c IN-VENTOR ma# zf Mw ATTOR NEYSUnited Stats arent RECLININ G `CHAIR EXTENSIBLE LEG REST Herbert V.Th-aden, High Point, N .C., assignor to Thaden Molding Corporation, HighPoint, NJC., a corporation of North `Carolina Application .lune 10,1957, Serial No. 664,765

4 Claims. (Cl. 15S- 106) This invention relates generally to anextensible leg rest for a reclining chair, and more particularly to anextensible leg rest which is so connected to the reclining chairstructure 4that upon movement of the back of the chair to the recliningposition, the leg rest will automatically be moved to an upwardlyinclined position.

Extensible leg rests per se are well known in the reclining chair art asillustrated by the U.S. patent to Muhl #426,601. In the modern design ofreclining chairs it is desirable from a merchandising standpoint thatthe chairs have the appearance of standard non-reclining chairssupported by legs above the floor surface. Accordingly in order that thechair should have a compact, pleasing appearance it is desirable thatthe extensible leg rest be concealed within the reclining chair body.The problem thus arises of providing means for automatically adjustingthe angle of inclination of the leg rest upon movement of the back ofthe chair `to the reclining position so that the leg rest, whenextended, will be adapted to comfortably support the occupants legs atan upward inclination with respect to the occupants lower torso. In myU.S. Patent No. 2,824,601 titled Reclining Chair I have disclosed anovel chair in which an outer shell having back and arm portions ispivotally connected to thestatonary chair seat frame. The instantinvention relates to an automatically angularly adjustable concealed legrest for such a reclining chair.

Thus the primary object of my invention is to provide a leg rest for areclining chair which is automatically adjusted to an upwardly inclinedposition upon movement of the back of the chair to its reclinedposition.

Another object of my invention is to provide a leg rest for a recliningchair which is concealed ush beneath the chair `seat frame when thechair is positionedin `its normal erect position.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a concealedextensible leg rest in a reclining chair of the type having a shell witharm and back portions pivotally connected to a stationary chair seatframe, the arrangement being such that upon movement of lthe shell toits reclined position, the concealed extensible leg rest willautomatically be moved to an upwardly inclined position.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be* come more apparentfrom a study of the following specication when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a partly-sectioned elevational view of my invention as appliedto the conventional embodiment of my reclining chair, the leg rest beingin the retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section view taken along line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of the leg rest portion ofthe chair;

Fig. 4 is a partly sectioned view of the chair of Fig.

1 1n the reclrnrng posltron with the foot 1n 1ts extended position; and

Patented .lune 2, 1959 'icc Fig. 5 is a partly sectioned view of myinvention as applied to the oliice version of my reclining chair.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 3, the chair cushion 1 is securedto a rigid wooden or metal rectangular chair frame 2 which is lixedlysupported above the lloor by the legs 3 rigidly connected thereto.Pivotally mounted to pivot rods 4 and 5 on downwardly projectingextensions 6 of the chair frame is the rigid outer chair shell 7 whichhas a generally U-shaped configuration in a cross-section taken alongthe horizontal plane (Fig. 2). This shell may be of a molded plastic andber com position (as disclosed in my copending application Serial No.485,898, tiled February 3, 1955, now US. Patent No. 2,831,534, issuedApril 22, 1958), metal, plywood or any other suitable composition. Theshell, having arm portions 7a and a back portion 7b, is preferably, butnoty necessarily, of unitar;l integral construction. The shell may ormay not be provided with fabric or plastic covered upholstery, asdesired. In the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawingsthe shell has a bottom portion 7c which extends completely below thechair seat frame and is provided with apertures through which the chairlegs 3 extend, although it is to be understood urging the shell 7 to itsnormal erect position as shown in Fig. 1. A kidney pad 13 is secured tolsupport member 14 `pivotally connected to the rear portion of the chairseat frame 2 at pivot points 1S. The upper end of the support member 14is slidably movable along and supported by the inner surface of the backportion 7b of the shell.

According to the instant invention, adjacent theunder surface of thechairframe 2 is located the telescopically extensible leg rest 16. Theleg rest is pivotally `connected to the forward edge of the chair seatframe 2 by pivot rods I7 rigidly secured at one end to projections 18downwardly extending from the seat frame and slidably movable at theouter ends within slots 17a in the walls of the outer leg rest section16e (Fig. 4). 'The .rear portion of the leg rest is pivotally connectedto the arm por-,

tions 8a of the 'shell by means of pivot rods 19. The sliding pivotalconnection at the forward portion of the leg rest enables the leg restto move slightly longitudinally as the shell is pivoted about pivots 4and 5. A similar result could be accomplished, of course, by placing theslidable pivot connection at the rear pivot 19, by using suitableintermediate link means or by slidably supporting the under surface ofthe forward portion of the leg rest by a `stationary bar secured to thestationary seat frame 2. As shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4,the leg rest consists of three telescopically arranged rigid sections16a, 16b and 16C. These sections are formed of a suitable rigidmaterial, preferably light weight metal, and may be covered with asuitable fabric or plastic cusl1- ioning cover if desired. Thearrangement is such that the sections 16a, 16h are slidably extendiblefrom the outer section 16o whether the chair is in the erect position ofFig. 1 or the reclining position of Fig. 4. If desired, suitable ballbearing or roller means may be inserted intermediate the telescopic legrest sections to facilitate extension of the sections.

Referring now to Fig. 4 it will be seen that when the shell 7 is pivotedrearwardly about pivot rods 4 and 5 with respect to the seat frame, theupper extremity of the assen?? back portion 7b of the shell is loweredand the kidney pad support 14 will pivot rearwardly so that the upperextremity thereof will remainin slidable engagement with the occupantsupporting surface of the shell back portion 7b. The `shell :supportingrod 8 will slide downwardly through its housing to compress the `coilspring 12. During the downward pivotalmovement of the shell 7, the rearportion of leg rest 16 will also be pivoted downwardly `about forwardpivot rods 17 in view yof .the pivotal connection of the rods 19 Iat therear end of the leg rest of the .shell side portions 7a. Thus it will beseen that upon extension of the leg rest sections when the shell is inthe reclining position, the section 16a may be extended to a point abovethe horizontal plane `of the chair seat frame 2 so that the legs of thereclining occupant will be comfortably supported at an upwardinclination with respect to the occupants lower torso. If desired theleg rest 16 may be only partially extended so that only a portion of theoccupants legs intermediate the ankles and the feet are supported. Thusit will be seen that upon rearward pivotal movement of the shell aboutthe seat frame, the rear portion of the leg rest will automatically bepivoted downwardly so that the extensible leg rest sections will form anupwardly inclined acute angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

Referring now to the o'ice version of my chair as illustrated in Fig. 5,the chair seat frame 2 is rotatably secured to a standard chair swivel21 supported by the pedestal 20. The feet of the pedestal may beprovided with rollers to provide mobility of the chair, if desired. Asillustrated in the figure, when the shell 7 is in its normal erectposition, the contracted telescopic leg rest 16 is concealed within theshell below the chair seat frame 2. As the shell 7 is pivoted rearwardlyabout its pivot points 4, 5, pins 19 connected intermediate the shellside ,portions 7a and the rear portion of the leg rest move downwardlyso that the leg rest will be pivoted about forward pins 17 connected tothe seat frame. Thus upon reclining pivotal movement of the shell aboutthe stationary chair seat frame, the leg rest will be automaticallyadjusted to have an upwardly inclined acute angle with respect to thehorizontal plane.

Thus it is seen that according to my invention a concealed extensibleleg rest is provided beneath the chair seat frame which willautomatically be moved to an upwardly inclined position upon movement ofthe back of the chair to the reclining position.

While in accordance with the patent statutes I have illustrated anddescribed the best form of embodiments. of my invention known to me, itwill be apparent to those skilled n the art that changes may be made inthe form of the apparatus described without departing from the spirit ofmy invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a reclining chair having a chair seat frame supported by legs fromthe floor surface and a normallyvertical chair back pivotally connectedto said seat lframe and adapted to be moved to 'a lreclining positionwith respect thereto a normally horizontal leg rest positioned beneathsaid chair seat frame, first pivot means connecting said leg rest te thechair seat frame, and second pivot means connnecting Vthe rear portionof said leg rest to said chair back so that upon movement of said chairback to its reclining position, said leg rest will be automaticallypositioned in an upwardly inclined positon with respect to the chairseat frame with the forward portion of the leg rest at a higherelevation than the rear portion thereof.

2. A reclining chair as defined in claim 1 wherein said v leg restconsists of a plurality of telescopically extensible sections, and saidfirst pivot means connects the forward end of the outermost one of saidsections to the forward portion of the chair seat frame.

3. A reclining chair comprising a seat frame, leg means for supportingsaid seat frame a xed distance from a iloor supporting surface, a shellhaving back and 4arms portions, said shell being pivotally connected tosaid seat frame intermediate its forward and rear ends so that saidshell may pivot rearwardly to an inclined position with respect to saidseat frame, a normally horizontal extensible leg rest positioned beneathsaid seat frame, said leg rest consisting of a plurality oftelescopieally arranged sections, rst pivot means connecting the forwardportions of the outermost one of said sections to said seat frame, andsecond pivot means connecting the rear portion of said outermost sectionto the arm portions of said shell so that upon pivotal movement of saidshell to its reclining position with respect to said seat frame, saidleg rest is automatically pivoted to an upwardly inclined acute anglewith respect to the horizontal plane.

4. A reclining chair as defined in claim 3 wherein said shell has abottom portion which extends beneath said leg rest and said chair seatframe, said shell bottom portions having suitable apertures thereinthrough which said leg means projects.

References Cited 'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS12,587 Ferriss Mar. 27, 1855 320,265 Maddox June 16, 1885 426,601 Y Muhll- Apr. 29, 1890 2,281,085 Bell Apr. 28, 1942

